Ignitor for gas-engines



(No Model.) i W. E. GRIST.

IGNITOR POR GAS ENGINES.

Patented Deo.v 17, 1889.

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d /llll mn W Illllilllll" n Hlln WILLIAMn-.onsn or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

'leNlToR FOR GAS-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 417,472, dated December 17, 1889. Application filed September l1, 1889. Serial No. 323,650. (No model.)

To all whom) it may concern.' Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. CRIST, o Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and 'useful Improvements in Igniting Devices for Gas-Engines; and I do hereby declareA that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this speciiication.

This invention relates to an igniting device for gas-engines, and has for its object to insure and obtain greater certainty in the firing of the explosive charge of the engine by means of a constantly-burning. flame.

1t consists lin the combination, with suitable passages connecting the explosion-chamber in a gas-engine with an outer port in front of which an. i gniting-flame is kept burning, of a reciprocating piston operating as a valve to govern the communication through said passages, and which is constructed with a concentric dame-chamber to communicate immediately with said outer port and mediately by means of an adjustable annular passage with the port opening into the eXplosion-chamber, all substantially as is hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of the ignitor; Fig. 2, a transverse section in line a of Fig. l; Fig. 3, a longitudinal central section in line yfy of Fig. 1, showing the piston at the outer end of its stroke; and Fig. 4, a similar section showing the piston at the inner end of its stroke.

Similar letters indicate like parts in all ol' the figures.

A represents the outer shell or casing for the ignitor. This shell is perforated from end to end with a cylindrical bore, and is made of sufficient thickness to admit of space therein for a water-jacket B, which is formed to encircle the central bore wherever this may be done without intersecting the transverse passages communicating therewith. The casing is designed to t closely against the outer face of the wall inclosing the space for the explosive charge in a gas-engine at or near the point at which the charge is to be eX- ploded, and is adapted to be secured in place by means of bolts C C. VAn opening D is pierced from the outer front face of the device through its wall to communicate with an annular recess e., formed about the inner periphery of the central bore. A small gasburner F is formed or fitted immediately below the opening D in position to permit the flame of the burner to reach it. The burner may consist of a small orifice pierced in the wall of a chamber formed in an offset F on thc casing A of the ignitor, and to which a gas-supply pipe II is connected in the usual manner. At a suitable distance from the annular recess e within the cylindrical bore in the casing a second annular recess vl is formed, having an opening .I extending out- Wardly therefrom in position to register,when the ignitor is secured to the engine, with a port J in the wall of the explosion-chamber of the engine. Free communication is thus established for the passage of a portion of the explosive charge under pressure int-o the recess c'.

A piston or plunger K is fitted to work closely in the cylindrical bore to establish and control the communication between the recesses e and This piston is constructed in two sections L and M, (see Figs. Sand 4,) the one L being made to screw upon a central axial rod N, projecting from the inner end of the section M. The inner end of the first section M is beveled to form a tapering collar w, which, encircling the rod N, is adapted to iit accurately in a counterpart seat countersunk in the opposite faceof the section L. The end of the sect-ion M is also cut away circumferentially to form a peripheral groove or recess P between the two sections and adjacent to the collar w. A circumferential groove or recess R 'is formed about the outer periphery ot the second section L at a distance from its inner end about equal to the interval between the recesses e -and 'i within the bore, and two or more apertures t t are pierced to extend inwardly from said recess,while the central rod N is reduced in dialneter from the tapering seat w out far enough to extend beyond said apertures when the sections are screwed together, thereby establishing a channel s of communication between the recesses R and P concentrically along the length of rod N and around the tapering collar w. The adjustment of the IOO collar w to and from its seat, by which the area of the concentric passage s for the outward flow of the gaseous charge is controlled, is produced by screwing the section L upon the rod N to or from said collar. Then the area of the concentric aperture `s,eneircling the collar w, is properly adjusted in accordance with the pressure of the explosive charge used in the engine, the sect-ions L and M are fixed by means of a lock-nut V upon the outer end ofdthe rod. The piston K thus formed in the adjustable sections L M is coupled in the customary manner by means of a connecting-rod Y with an eccentric or crank wheel on the engine, whereby the recess or chamber P encircling the piston is moved inward from the opening D far enough to register wit-h the opening J at the moment an explosion of the charge is desired, and is Ithereafter moved outward again to its first position in register with the opening D before a fresh charge is admitted to the explosion-chamber.

The connection of the coupling-rod 'Y with the piston K is preferably made by means of a ball-and-sockctjoint, as shown at X in Fig. l, to prevent any strain whatever upon the piston by reason of its connection with the engine, so that it shall at all times be free to move with perfect ease and regularity.

In the operation of the device the ignitingfiameis kept constantly burning. The piston K is so adjusted in relation to the workingpiston ol the engine as that when the working-piston is making its insti-oke and the exploded charge is exhausting from the working-chamber the recesses c and fof the piston K will severally register with the flame-port and with the port leading tothe explosionchamber, so that there will be free communication through the passages in the ignitor from the one to the other, therebypermitting a full exhaust of all burned gases from said passages. 'lhe igniting-piston will remain in this position until, the working-piston having completed its instroke, the explosive charge is admitted. A portion of this charge under pressure will find vent through the ports J J and the passages it s of the ignitor to the flame-port D, where, coming into contact with the flame, it will be ignited and will burn freely in the recess l), into which itescapes through the circular channel s in an annular outwardly-fiaring jet. The tapering form of the collar uf by producing this annular fiaring jet so facilitates the ready outward passage of the gases as that the flow is not easily broken or interrupted. So soon as the proper moment arrives in the movements of the engine for an explosion of the charge therein the piston K, by reason of its connection with the eccentric or cam upon the engine, is suddenly moved inward, thereby carrying the recess P, in which the gases flowing outward under pressure from the explosion-chamber are burning in an annular jet, into register with the port J. During this movement the gases confined in the recess P and carried with it to the port J continue to burn, so that so soon as the port J is reached they serve to fire the entire explosive charge in the ports J and J and in the explosion-chamber, with which they com municate, and at the same time the outward vent from said ports through the ignitor is cut off. The piston K will then remain in position to cut oft all outward vent until the working-piston has completed its outstroke, whereupon it will be carried outward again to its first position'in readiness for an exhaust and the reception of a fresh igniting-charge.

The coupling of the piston K with the cngine by means of a ball-and-socket joint, as described, prevents it from being in any manner strained bythe movements of the engine, so that the working parts ot' the ignitor are left free to insure their ready operation under all circumstances.

The longitudinal adjustment of the two scetions L and M of the piston K upon a common axis permits the escape of the igniting-chargc in the annular recess I to be readily controlled and determined at pleasure in proper relation to the degree of compression of the explosive charge, and the peculiar form of said recess insures the transfer of the igniting-chargc in its inflamed condition from the flame-port to the exploding-port in the movement of the piston K without danger of its extinguishment before the explosive charge is fired thereby.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination, in an igniting device for gas-engines, with a suitable casing having a longitudinal passage-way through it comnumicating by transverse passages at different points in its length with a flame-port and with. a port to communicate with the explosion-chamber of the engine, of a controllingpiston playing in. said passage-way, said piston being formed in two sections adjustable upon its longitudinal axis to and from each other, with a circumferential recess between them adapted to register with the fiamc-port, and having a second peripheral recess upon one of the sections adapted to register with the port from the explosion-chamber, and a connecting-passage extending from the one recess to the other, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

'2. The combination, in an igniting device for gas-engines, of a suitable casing having a longitudinal bore through it, a flame-port communicating with said bore, a second port opening outwardly from the bore at a suitable distance from the first to communicate with the explosion-chamber of the engine, a cylindrical block or plunger reciprocating in said bore, formed with a central rod projecting axially from its inner end, and with a tapering neck or collar encircling the rod at its juncture with the plunger, a second cylindrical block of equal diameter with the first, longitudinally perforated to embrace and screw upon its rod, and having a conical seat IOO IOS

IIO

at its inner end to receive the tapering neck or collar and a peripheral recess encircling it in position to register with the port ofthe explosion-chamber when the joint between the tWo plungers is 'in register with the flame port, and a concentric passage-Way encircling the rod and extending from said joint to said peripheralv recess, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. The combination, with the casing in an igniting device for gas-engines, of a plunger reciprocating in said casing, a concentric passage formed Within said piston, an annular outwardly-Haring aperture communicating with said concentric passage at one end thereof, radial passages communicating with the opposite end of said passage, a flame-port communicating through the casing with the annular flaring aperture, a port connecting the explosion-chamber of the engine With the radial passages, and a burner placed adjacent to the flame-port to supply-the igniting-flame therefor, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

municate with the flame from an external burner, a second port to communicate With 'the explosionfchamber of the engine, and a reciprocating piston having a circumferential 3o cate with the latter port when the first recess 3 5 is in communication with the fiame-port, and

la passage connecting the two recesses, substantially in the ymanner and for the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony whereof l have signed my name 4o to this specification in the presence of two sul)A scribing witnesses.

WILLIAM E. CRIST.

XVitnesses:

A. N. JESBERA, E. M. WATSON.

4. Anligniting device for gas-engines, con- 5 'sistingof a casing having a flame-port to com- 

